| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
24 Jun 2009 : Column 965W—continued
Departmental Cleaning Services
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations provided cleaning services to his Department in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each such contract was in each such year. [280760]
Chris Bryant: Over the last three years cleaning services have been provided to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by the following contractors at the indicated cost.
| Contractor | £ | |
Departmental Electricity
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the percentage of electricity used by his Department which was derived from renewable sources in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. [280933]
Chris Bryant: In 2006-07 the percentage of electricity derived from renewable sources for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK Estate, including Wilton Park, was 32.7 per cent. In 2007-08 this figure was 30 per cent.
Departmental Resignations
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of staff have resigned from his Department in each year since 2001. [281709]
Chris Bryant: The number of UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services (FCOS) who resigned in each of the last five years was:
| FCO | FCOS | |
We do not hold records of resignations before 2004.
These figures do not include staff who took early retirement (with compensation) as a result of restructuring programmes.
Departmental Work Experience
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) paid and (b) unpaid graduate internships his Department has awarded in each of the last six months. [281517]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) takes part in the Cabinet Office run Summer Development Programme and Summer Placement Scheme for undergraduates and graduates. In 2009 we awarded 10 paid placements to candidates from ethnic minority and disabled backgrounds. There are currently no centrally organised, unpaid, graduate internship programmes in the FCO.
Diplomatic Service: Gifts and Endowments
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department issues to envoys appointed by the Prime Minister on the acceptance of (a) payments, (b) gifts, (c) rewards and (d) other emoluments from (i) non-governmental agencies and (ii) foreign governments. [281711]
Chris Bryant: Part-time special envoys appointed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister offer their services and expertise on a voluntary basis. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not employ them or offer contractual terms to them. We reimburse relevant expenses when envoys undertake visits or engagements at our request.
Political appointments made by the Prime Minister to high commissioner posts are subject to the civil service code, like all FCO members of staff. As such they may not accept benefits of any kind from a third party, which might reasonably be seen to compromise their personal judgement or integrity. We insist that staff observe the highest standards of propriety, avoid any perceived conflict of interest and refuse all gifts, unless they are of insignificant value.
Eritrea: Human Rights
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government last made representations to the government of Eritrea on human rights issues. [281353]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK raises human rights issues with the Eritrean Government both in Asmara and with the Eritrean Ambassador to London on a regular basis, highlighting the amount of public and parliamentary interest we receive. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, raised human rights with the Eritrean Ambassador at the end of last year.
We also discuss human rights as part of the EU via the Article 8 Political Dialogue. EU Heads of Mission produced a human rights report at the end of January to discuss with the Government of Eritrea. Unfortunately, since initial discussions earlier this year the Government of Eritrea has twice refused to have human rights
included on the Article 8 Dialogue agenda for discussion. We will raise our disappointment, as part of EU Heads of Mission, at the Eritrean Government’s reluctance to return to human rights issues as part of the planned Article 8 Political Dialogue when EU Heads of Mission and representatives of the Eritrean Government next meet on 23 June 2009.
We will continue to press to get human rights discussions back on the Article 8 Dialogue agenda.
European Anti-Fraud Office
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases the European Anti-Fraud Office has investigated since its inception; and how many investigations have resulted in one or more convictions. [277098]
Chris Bryant: Information on the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)’s operations can be found in its annual reports.
OLAF’s most recent operations report states that
‘A total of 67 actions corresponding to 20 decisions were undertaken for the protection of the EC’s financial interests. A significant proportion of these actions resulted in imprisonments (24). The three other most frequent actions were financial penalties (19), suspended sentences (18) and damages (5). No suspects were acquitted in 2007’
OLAF will also have referred cases to national prosecutors that national authorities may then have taken action on independently.
The full report can be found on OLAF’s website at:
Reports for previous years’ operations can also be found on the OLAF website at:
European Commission
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the merits of holding national elections to determine the UK’s European Commissioner. [281429]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: European Commissioners are required to be:
“independent in the performance of their duties”
“instructions from any Government or other institution, body, office or entity”.
Any Commissioner put forward can have no given mandate from the UK.
HMS Poseidon
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the alleged secret salvaging by China of the HMS Poseidon submarine lost in a peacetime accident in 1931; what information he has received on the disposal of human remains allegedly recovered by China; what contact his Department has had with the families of the crew members who died; and what representations he proposes to make on the subject to the Chinese government. [281405]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 22 June 2009]: We are aware of reports that the submarine HMS Poseidon was salvaged in 1972. We have sought clarification from the Chinese authorities, and await their reply.
International Renewable Energy Agency
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with his counterpart in (a) Germany, (b) Austria, (c) Denmark and (d) the United Arab Emirates on their bids to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency. [281424]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 23 June 2009]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) with the German, Austrian or Danish Foreign Ministers. He has discussed the issue with the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the German Environment Minister. He stressed with both that, as the UK was not a member of IRENA and so had no voting rights, the UK would not take a formal position on where the headquarters should be situated.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with counterparts in (a) Canada, (b) China, (c) Japan, (d) India, (e) Brazil, (f) Australia and (g) the US regarding membership of the International Renewable Energy Agency. [281425]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 23 June 2009]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with counterparts in these countries concerning the International Renewable Energy Agency.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has lead responsibility for our policy towards renewable energy. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was set up by the German Government in January 2009 and now has around 100 member governments. Mandated by these governments worldwide, IRENA aspires to become the main driving force for promoting a rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale. The UK (DECC) have now confirmed that they will sign-up to IRENA; this should happen this week.
Laos: Prisoners
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make further representations to the Lao government about the welfare and political status of the prisoners Thao Mua, Pa Fue Khang, Thonpaseuth Keuakoun, Seng-Aloun Phengphanh and Bouavanh Chanhmanivong. [281507]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our embassy in Bangkok, which is accredited to Laos, asked the Lao authorities on 15 May 2009 and again on 21 May 2009 for an update on the current situation of these prisoners. The Lao authorities have however responded saying that they are unable to provide any additional information to that supplied in 2008 concerning these men.
We will continue to raise our concerns with the relevant Lao authorities whenever the opportunity arises.
Pakistan: Ethnic Groups
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Pakistan on the treatment of minorities in that country. [281355]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron), visited Pakistan in February 2009 and met the Pakistani Minister for Human Rights, Mumtaz Gilani and the Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti. During these meetings, she pressed for more action to protect the rights of minorities in Pakistan. My hon. Friend also called for a review of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which are frequently abused and lead to significant discrimination against minorities.
Bilaterally and with our EU partners we continue to call upon the Government of Pakistan to promote the concept of freedom of religion and belief and to initiate early reform of the discriminatory blasphemy legislation.
In the course of their duties, officials at our high commission in Islamabad regularly meet with members of the Government of Pakistan to discuss the human rights situation in Pakistan.
Royal Visits
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on clothing for official visits overseas by members of the Royal Family in 2008-09. [281482]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not pay clothing costs for members of the Royal Family on official overseas travel.
Somalia: Piracy
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2009, Official Report, column 1425W, when the next meeting of Working Group 1 of the Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia will be; and what matters will be discussed at the meeting. [280684]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Working Group 1 met informally on 10 June 2009 in the margins of the Seoul High-Level Meeting on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. It discussed regional capability development priorities with the representatives of regional countries and other international partners. The next formal meeting is planned to take place in London on 10 July 2009. The meeting is likely again to focus predominantly on regional capability development needs and priorities, although an agenda is yet to be finalised.
Sudan: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the prospects for implementation of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan, with particular reference to the forthcoming (a) elections in Sudan and (b) referendum on the future of South Sudan. [281352]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is the foundation for future peace and stability across Sudan. With only two years before the end of the interim period, we remain concerned at the number of outstanding CPA issues, including preparations for elections and referenda. We welcome the CPA conference in Washington on 23 June 2009 which will bring together both North and South and the international community to tackle these issues.
We welcome the National Election Commission’s plans for elections in February 2010, although we are concerned that preparations are behind schedule. There are major challenges which must be addressed, including ensuring necessary legislation, such as the security and press acts, is appropriate. The UK will be providing significant assistance and we are working with the Sudanese and the international community to ensure peaceful and credible elections are held.
The UK remains completely committed to fair and credible referenda on self-determination, both for Abyei and the South, as defined in the CPA. The referendum bill is currently being discussed in the Sudanese parliament. We urge both sides to reach agreement quickly on the bill to allow preparations for the referenda to begin.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |